Care is There Geriatric Care Management is operated by a group of like-minded people whose goal is to provide quality care and access to the necessary resources. Every month, we’re shining the light on the people who make Care is There what it is – a group united by that common goal.
Our March installment of Team Spotlight features Lauren Bond, Director of Client Services for Care is There’s Overland Park office. There, Lauren is instrumental in ensuring seniors in the area have access to the help they need under the Care is There umbrella. Well, I’ll let her explain:
How long have you been working at Care is There?
I started working at Care is There in November 2014. In April, it will be one year and five months.
What do you do at Care is There?
I am the Director of Client Services for the Overland Park office. I am developing this market and I work as a Lifestyle Coordinator for some of our clients. As the location manager in this area, I am responsible for this office, marketing and advertising our services, obtaining clients, and developing relationships with the best service providers in the region. As a Lifestyle Coordinator, I work with three clients, helping them live the best lives they can.
What is the most satisfying thing about working at Care is There?
I find satisfaction in this job in two ways. As a Lifestyle Coordinator, I feel very satisfied when I help a client avoid difficulties because I anticipated a potential problem and made sure it didn’t happen. An example of this is when I was sitting in on a medical appointment with a client, and the nurse practitioner was about to wrap up the visit. The client was seeing this clinician to get the “OK” to start physical therapy. I remembered that my client had a history of back pain, due to a car accident many years ago, but we hadn’t discussed her back pain in this appointment. I brought up the subject in a gentle way, to make sure there weren’t any special considerations needed for physical therapy for her. It turns out there were some considerations. My client was able to get a pain treatment before starting physical therapy, which would make the therapy more comfortable for her, and help her get the most out of it.
The second way I find satisfaction is when I connect with a business colleague over what Care is There does. It can be difficult to explain care management and the field is not well known. We know it helps our clients, but unfortunately few people really understand how important it can be until they are faced with a situation where there is no advocate or manager. Seniors can be vulnerable, and we assume they will advocate for themselves; however, that is not always the case. We educate our colleagues and referral partners on what we do through lots of examples. It is exciting to see the “light” switch on when they truly understand our role and they can identify when a care manager would be helpful for a senior.
Is there anything exciting you’ve got planned for the Kansas/Overland Park office of Care is There?
I don’t know if we have anything “super” exciting planned. This year we are concentrating on growth, to hire some Lifestyle Coordinators and engage with enough clients to keep them pleasantly busy. I have been formulating a vision for how to grow within the Kansas City area – this city is much bigger than Charlottesville – and I am considering how we can grow to meet the needs of seniors all over the region.
I would like Care is There to be more involved in community outreach and this year I hope to develop a series of seminars on caregiving topics. These seminars could be offered to community groups, churches or support groups.
Read Lauren’s profile at CareisThere.com or meet the entire team on our “Team” page.
For more articles like this, see: News and Events, Team Spotlight.
Do you need help managing the care of an elderly loved one in Kansas City or Overland Park, Kansas, or Charlottesville, Harrisonburg or Staunton, Virginia?
Contact us at Care is There Geriatric Care Management for a free consultation: 800.434.1633 or info@careisthere.com. We specialize in geriatric care management, support for independent living, assisted living enhancement and peace of mind for long distance caregivers.
AGING LIFE CARE™ is a trademark of the Aging Life Care Association. Only ALCA members are authorized to use this term to identify their services. See the Team page of CareisThere.com for a list of our associates, and look for the Aging Life Care logo on the bio pages of our ACLA members.
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